Home Again
by hiddenwindmill
Summary: Takes place on Naruto's return to Konoha in chapter 245 of the Naruto manga...No definite pairings yet, but NarutoxSakura fans are welcome.
1. The Test

Hello fellow readers and writers, this is my very first fanfiction. Please read and review, because I need to know if I should develop this storyline!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any of the Naruto characters or associated names.

Kakashi's back was arched where the shadow clone had kicked him, and another clone's foot was about to connect with his face. Kakashi struggled to regain control of his body, which had been put under some body-wrap Jutsu by Sakura. The young girl crouched vertically on the side of a tree 10 yards to his right, eyes closed, hands sealed, concentrating. Kakashi closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow…

Naruto watched silently as his clone jumped toward Kakashi, preparing to kick. Laughing silently to himself, Naruto focused his attention on the bells in his former sensei's belt. Only a few moments of Sakura's new astonishing technique remained, so Naruto jumped out of the trees and dove for the bells. Just as his hand connected with them, Kakashi spun away from the descending clone, dispelling it with a pounding roundhouse kick. Kakashi turned around with incredible speed and delivered a hard kick to Naruto's face, but not before the grinning teen had ripped a bell off the string, threw it into the woods, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. _Another clone? _Kakashi thought, muttering to himself as his Sharingan took in his surroundings. The triumphant Naruto emerged from the trees, his eyes victorious, as he held out the glittering bell at his limber Jounin former teacher.

"Gotcha, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said with glee. He looked at the bell in his hand, feeling a rushing sense of excitement coursing through him.

Sakura looked at Naruto and the bell, smiling. _Awesome, Naruto!_ She thought to herself, and clenched her fist. We finally got the bell! _Wait…(he finally got the bell, Sakura) I don't have one, do I?_ Sakura thought as a bubbling jealousy overcame her joy. _Damn, and that technique Tsunade-sensei taught me worked so well!_ _Kakashi couldn't even move for, like, 3 minutes!_ (_you still didn't get the bell)_ the inner sakura yelled at her, and Sakura dropped her eyes, feeling stupid. _Guess my new technique wasn't good enough…_And just as tears welled up in her eyes, a bell bonked Sakura right on her head. She looked around, surprised, and found Naruto sitting next to her in the tree.

"You take it, Sakura. I have plenty of chakra left, and I can't wait to get the next one!"

"Naruto…! Arigato, Naruto-kun…"Sakura cried. Naruto stood up and gave her his best, patented Nice-Guy pose.

Feeling a new sense of affection for her newly arrived partner, Sakura took Naruto in her arms in a warm hug. _What am I doing? _She thought, but she settled down, feeling the bell in her hand and Naruto against her chest.

"S-Sakura?" Naruto stuttered, staggering back under her weight. "Sakura, I gotta get going! Kakashi will have recovered by now…" Naruto gently pushed her off him.

"Okay, Naruto. She gave him her best smile. Do it!"

Time seemed to stand still for Naruto as he gazed at the now womanly Sakura, a girl he had once adored. _Man, she's lookin' good…_He glanced at her chest, and his eyes widened. _ What are those…curves…CURVES…_

"Ah!" Naruto said as he shook his head, blushing profusely. He grimaced at Sakura, who giggled, then he quickly jumped off the branch, looking around for Kakashi.

"Yo, Naruto!"

His sensei stood there, looking incredulously at Naruto. Naruto barely had time to twist his torso to the side as Kakash's arm zipped by, and the Jounin tripped Naruto with a sliding kick that knocked the young teen's breath out. Rising up from the kick, Kakashi twirled neatly and landed on Naruto's chest. Naruto, regaining his wind, looked up at Kakashi, grimacing in pain as the silver-haired Jounin grinned.

"Gotcha, Naruto." Kakashi laughed, about to run off, when a distracted look came to his eyes and he tapped the tiny headphone in his ear. Naruto never got a chance to retort, as his teacher suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke, the last bell tingling to the ground.

_Well, that was easy…_Naruto thought. Sakura rushed up to him.

"Naruto-kun, are you okay…?" said Sakura, obvious concern tainting her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…" said Naruto, distracted by Kakashi's sudden disappearance. _Damn, I don't feel like I really won…_Naruto thought in slight disgust, looking at the bell sitting expectantly on the ground.

"Well, I guessed that's that…" said Naruto, scratching his head and finally coming around to Sakura's gaze.

"Where did he go?" said Sakura.

"I have no idea, he had beaten me and then he just…disappeared…" murmured Naruto.

"Well, I guess that's it for the bell test then. What do we do now?" said Sakura, relieved that the trying test was over.

Brightening, Naruto looked around him. He was actually back in Konoha! How could he forget…where were all the people he had known 2 and a half years ago! "Hey what the hell am I doing! I've got to see everyone! Sakura, I'll see you around! I'm gonna go find Shikamaru and Chouji!

Seeing the crestfallen look on his friend's face, Naruto put a hand under her chin and raised her eyes to his. "Don't worry, Sakura…I'm fine! I'll see you around, okay? Later, sexy!"

Feeling her anger rising, Sakura lashed out at Naruto, but he was already gone. "Damn it!" Sakura yelled, but she realized she was alone, and she crossed her arms across her chest. _What was I feeling just then…Naruto really has become a man. His muscles when I hugged him, that confidence, his courtesy…. Of course I just did it to prove to him that I've grown up, but I wonder_…

"Ugh!" Sakura shook herself, blushing. "What am I thinking? That brat Naruto! Next time I see him, he's got it coming." Sakura began to walk off in the direction of the village, a slight smile on her face. _Naruto…_


	2. Changes

Thanks guys for the reviews. Here goes with chapter 2.

Disclaimer: I still don't own any Naruto characters or affiliated names.

"The boy with the demon seal," said a man wreathed in shadow, "is no longer under the Sannin's protection." He stood in a dimly lit small room with one window, from which a ray of inconspicuous sunlight illuminated the dust particles hovering in the air.

"Two years it has been. Two years, and not a word or mite of information in regards to the Kyuubi boy…very well. This changes things, doesn't it…Itachi…" said the figure leaning on the side of a small table.

"That's what it seems like," replied the shadowy man. "Just find Kisame and I'll set out. This time I'll be prepared. Hatake Kakashi and his pathetic friends can't keep me from the kid for long." At this, the man who had been called Itachi clenched his fist and chuckled. His laughter flowed out of the room in waves, carrying the evil of his intentions on its wings, resonating throughout the headquarters of the international terrorist organization called Akatsuki. Thousands of miles away, the "kid" in question was jogging up the street, a smile on his face and a lively inspiration to his step.

Umuino Iruka sat up from his bowl of ramen, hearing someone calling his name.

"Iruka-sensei! Stay where you are!" cried a boy Iruka thought he would never see again, Uzumaki Naruto. He was practically sprinting toward the ancient ramen stand, Ichiraku, and as he got closer to the stools his step faltered on an abandoned parchment, sending him face first on to the cobblestones of the street. "Hey, hey, hey, Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka called, and walked over to the boy sprawled on his stomach in front of the ramen stand. "Hey Naruto, you alright?" Iruka offered his hand and Naruto took it, pulling himself up and jumping to meet Iruka's amused gaze.

"Iruka-sensei, you haven't changed at all!" said the abnormally loud Naruto, scratching his head and squinting up at the young man in flak vest and other Jounin apparel.

"What, you expected me to go somewhere?" said Iruka, laughing as he embraced his formal student. "You got tall, Naruto! What have you been eating?" Iruka felt a pang of emotion as he examined the teenager standing in front of him. Naruto's physique had indeed grown, lean and lithe showing through the black and orange jumpsuit. Naruto's hair fell over his forehead protector casually, blonde as ever, accentuating his striking blue eyes. Naruto put his hands behind his head and offered up a huge grin.

"I knew I would find you here, Iruka-sensei. Hey, we should have ramen tonight, my treat! How about it? Just like old times!"

"I'll go for that offer anytime, Naruto, just come by and pick me up."

"Alright! Now, off to see the others! Later, Iruka-sensei!"

"Hai, Naruto, see you later!" _He's grown…Uzumaki Naruto, the Kyuubi boy…Ah well, times change, and he wasn't going to stay forever, Iruka._ Iruka pondered the life of his student, flipping a coin to the stand owner and striding on into the marketplace. He smiled to himself, thinking of all the surprises Naruto will find…

As usual, Nara Shikamaru was gazing at the clouds, on his back on the wooden bench that had melded itself to the shape of his spine in the many years since he was a child that it had held the cloud-watching boy. Suddenly, a puff of smoke blinded him and he sat up, coughing and brushing dust off his vest. His eyes widened as he stared at the person standing in front of him, and he stuttered. "You-but you-you're back?"

"Damn right I'm back Shikamaru, you lazy ass!" Naruto smiled widely, and he touched fists with Shikamaru. "So what happened while I was gone, fill me in!"

"Holy shit Naruto, you expect me to just give you a complete briefing or something? That would take hours!" He looked at Naruto, now almost as tall as he was, and smirked. "Patience, Naruto, hold on and let me think. You can come in if you want…" He opened the door to his house and Naruto walked in and sat down. Shikamaru scratched his head and poured himself a glass of water. Looking adoringly out the window at the sky, he wondered whether he'd have peace again since this loud-mouth was back.

Shikamaru stroked the small goatee he had grown recently, and thought about the last two years he had spent in Konoha. "Well, as I've been training with Asuma a lot lately, I'm gonna take the Jounin selection test next year…other than that not much…a bunch of B and A class missions with my team, lying around, saving villages and such…" he smiled at Naruto and put up a finger. "Before you question me about all the eventful adventures I've been on, let me tell you about the others in Konoha. Let's see now…guess we'll start with my team. As you probably know, Chouji made a full recovery and he's still as chubby as ever…his strategy really hasn't changed, but he made a few creative modifications to his Multi-Size no jutsu, other than that not much…Ino grew her hair out and has like 8…no probably more like 10 boyfriends by now. She's a valuable resource in battle, but she needs to think more about my plans then about last night with some stud. Oh yeah, Ino's a chounin, Chouji's somehow not…I don't know what the hell he's doing…

"Geez, Shikamaru, I can't listen to you talk anymore, I've gotta get going! Naruto slapped the lanky, tall ninja on the back and sprang out of the room, waving to Shikamaru just before disappearing beneath the dividing wall. _That brat…no patience whatsoever…I hope Lee finds him…_

Shikamaru closed the door behind him and began following Naruto.

_Let's see…who next, who next…_Naruto thought as he strode along the sidewalk with his hands behind his head. _Ah, I know, I'll go see…_

"Uzumaki Naruto!" The greatest ninja that Konoha has seen of late challenges you to a fight, right here, right now! I will not lose! Naruto, get ready!"

Naruto turned around, only to come face to face with the one and only, thick-browed, bowl-cut, genius of hard work, Rock Lee! He cringed and took a step back. Lee was standing menacingly in his old stance, with his arm extended and his fingers beckoning Naruto forward. He was dressed in a full black body suit with a zipped up flak vest, a tattoo of a dragon on his left arm. There was a fire in his eyes, and he smiled expectantly at Naruto, who smiled back. "Ready, midget!" Lee called, fastening a set of shining brass knuckles to his right fist. He slapped his fist, yelled a deafening but incomprehensible battle cry, and leapt into the air. _To be continued…_

What you guys think, eh? Next chapter coming as soon as I get the chance to write it! REVIEW PLEASE!


	3. Fight!

Hey everyone! Thanks a lot for the reviews…I'm trying my best here with this story…time for the next chapter!

Lovinitstrong: I'm seeing which characters I can get a feel for pairing, Naruto and Sakura seemed pretty good, so maybe I'll continue along that track but maybe not. Who knows?

Ero-Sennin: I know it's weird, but after all, Rock Lee is really weird too. I just wanted him to look really crazy.

Frozensword: yes, I've read 246. It is good.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto….yeah…

Chapter 3

As the slim but well-built figure that was Rock Lee, the genius of hard work, leapt into the air, Uzumaki Naruto frowned and watched keenly. _Who does he think he is, anyway…? I didn't want to fight him…but ergh…That's Lee for you…guess he hasn't changed either…guess I'll just have to KICK HIS ASS! _Naruto thought, all in a couple seconds as Lee began to descend rapidly. Naruto blinked. The air had seemed to waver around Lee as he began to fall…But wait! He wasn't there anymo-

THOK!

Naruto felt the air being literally ripped in two around him as Rock Lee's fist shredded through it, defying human limits and breaking the sound barrier. Naruto barely had time to hit the deck as he felt an invisible battering ram of compressed air speed over his head.

"Kawarimi No Jutsu!" Naruto quickly formed the handseals that the teleporting technique required and felt his body become smaller and smaller and smaller until with a pop, a cloud of smoke and a slight wave of nausea, he appeared on the rooftop opposite where Rock Lee now stood. _Damn, I have to work on that…haven't done it in a while…_Naruto cringed as he thought back to the first time he performed the technique and he reappeared with his left foot inside a wall.

"Running already, Naruto, eh?" said Lee as he whipped around and struck a glamorous pose, beckoning Naruto forward. "I warned you, Naruto! I have been training hard! I am the greatest ninja in Konoha! As I said, you will not defeat me!"

_Right, as if I asked to be randomly challenged in the middle of the street by a person I haven't seen in 2 and a half years…_Naruto wiped sweat off his brow and stood up.

"Lee…You loud mouth! Why do you want to fight me? If I have to prove myself to you, then I will!" Here I come!" Naruto called as a glint appeared in his eyes and he crouched, letting out a primal growl. The marks on his cheeks became more defined, and fangs cut into his lower lip, but he did not feel the pain.

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" Naruto yelled his favorite technique and 10 clones appeared.

"Henge No Jutsu!" Naruto called out the basic jutsu of transformation, and all the clones transformed into…Rock Lee!

Lee looked around, confused.

"LEAF SPINNING WIND!" the ten Lee clones cried out, and the real Lee twisted his body and jumped at the same time, flipping in air and throwing 3 shurikens at one of the clones.

"You can't fool me with this, Naruto! I know I'm me!" Lee said, but at the same time realized that all of the clones had said the same thing. _What if this is genjutsu…what if I'm not me and Naruto has been twisting the strings of reality to make me think that I'm me when I'm really not me and one of the clones is me? What if one of the clones switched bodies with me and now I'm one of the clones and not me?_ Lee thought desperately as the clones ran toward him. Lee slapped himself in the face.

"Haaaaaaaaah! I will not be tricked by you, Uzumaki Naruto!" Lee said and clapped his hands. A sonic boom erupted from his hands and Lee was thrown against the wall, while several clones disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Haha! I am the real me! I have become a great ninja! If only Gai-sensei were here to see me defeat you, Naruto!"

"Machine-gun Punch!" Lee said and sped towards the nearest Naruto, his arms a flurry of black and green.

_Shit! What are the chances that he attacked the right one!_ Naruto thought, losing concentration. His disguise was dispelled, and he had to put up his arms in the split second before Lee hit him. It seemed as though a thousand sledgehammers were all hitting him in the forearms, and Naruto winced as his Chakra defense bent under the pressure. Lee was forcing him to skid rapidly backwards towards a nearby fruit stand.

"Watch out!" Naruto cried as he crashed into the stand, oranges flying in all directions.

His defense failing, Naruto's mind was working fast. He thought about directions to let up and dodge, ways to twist his body so he took a less direct hit, and ways that he could possibly move and dodge Lee's assault directly. _Yeah, that could work…_

But too late! Lee was behind him, and he tripped Naruto with a sliding kick. Sprawled on the ground, Naruto grinned up at Lee as a shuriken flew at him from the last clone, causing him to drop his guard for a split second. Naruto flipped onto his stomach and pushed himself through Lee's legs, standing up behind the tall ninja and holding a kunai to his neck.

Lee yelled at the top of his voice. "YOU WISH NARUTO!" Naruto blinked.

Lee was standing in front of him, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, with Naruto's kunai in his right hand. "Endgame." Lee said, and it was then that Naruto realized with horror that he was wrapped in one of Lee's bandages. At this point, however, it was too late for further consideration as to how Lee had escaped Naruto's hold AND wrapped him up, because the kunai was in the air on its way to Naruto's forehead. He closed his eyes, waiting for the steel to pierce his skull. _Here it comes…_

"Wha…?" Naruto stuttered as he opened his eyes. Lee was hugging him.

"Welcome back to Konoha, Naruto!" Lee said with a chuckle, and tossed the kunai in the air. _Holy shit…what speed…_ Naruto thought. But what was the problem…? _Rock Lee beat me…or did he…?_

"Heh…thanks Lee! It's good to be back! Err… you learned some new techniques, didn't you?" Naruto muttered.

"Ha, yes and so did you Naruto-kun! We have both improved! The reason I challenged you to a fight was because…I wanted to test myself!" Lee flexed and puffed out his chest. "See, Naruto, I am now an adult!" Lee's face began to grow red, and he gasped, deflating his chest. Naruto laughed and scratched his head.

"So I see you're a chuunin now, too…?"

"Yes Naruto! I succeeded in the exam a year after the one you were in. It's not as if there were any hard battles…" at this Lee's face crinkled up, and he clenched his fists. "But this vest is well deserved, believe me! I worked very hard for Gai-sensei!"

"Yeah sure Lee…do you know when the next tournament is? I just realized that I'm technically still a genin. If I am to become hokage…I must first become a Chuunin!" Naruto smiled and pumped his fist in the air. "Do not forget, Rock Lee, that I will yet surpass you in skill! I am to become the sixth Hokage of Konoha!"

"You two done?" a hand tapped Naruto's shoulder, and he spun around. Kakashi stood there in his usual uninterested manner, eyes flickering back and forth from Naruto and Lee to his new present, the latest issue in the _Icha Icha _series: "Icha Icha Tactics."

"Kakashi! You did not finish the test! Kakashi, I want a rematch with you!" Naruto yelled accusingly at the silver-haired Jounin.

"Hmph. Not now, Naruto. Hokage Tsunade has sent for you. Rock Lee, I'm sorry, but I have to take Naruto now." At this, Lee's shoulder's slumped and his face fell.

"Hey, Lee, I gotta train later…I'll see you sometime tomorrow maybe!" Naruto said encouragingly to his crestfallen companion.

"Very well. Goodbye Naruto." Lee grumbled and disappeared.

"Yo, Naruto, what did you think of him?" Kakashi said as they walked briskly back towards the office of the fifth Hokage.

"Who, Lee? Aaahhh, he's a pushover. I was just playing with him. I could destroy that guy!" Naruto said with a grin. He looked around. _Konoha…_

The Konoha marketplace was filled with busy merchants and travelers, bustling around calling out advertisements and offers. Snippets of curses, light conversation, and cries of children drifted through the air, mingling with the sound of sizzling meat and the chirps of birds. Shinobi and villagers alike mingled in the crowd, socializing or simply strolling through the sweet-smelling arena of shops and stands. Children darted through the legs of the men and women, playing ninja or ball. The autumn leaves littered the street, contributing their shade to the many colors of the village. The sun shone down on the spot of civilization in the vast omnipotent forest, as if a spotlight showing off some new attraction.

Sakura spotted them from her post on the roof of the Hokage's office, and grinned. "Kakashi-sensei! Naruto! Hurry, Tsunade-sama told me to tell you to get here as fast as possible!" She waved at them and leapt down, landing softly. She swept her bangs out of her eyes and smoothed her skirt. "Come on, guys!"


	4. Her Mental Battle

Hello readers, thanks for the reviews and keep them coming…I need more input! Chapter 4 coming at you.

Disclaimer: don't own don't sue

Chapter 4

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?" Naruto y elled as he jumped around, pulling out large golden-blonde tufts of hair.

"Naruto, calm down!" said Tsunade, rushing over to the angry boy and grabbing his arms. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Old lady! I don't need to hear that from you! I can take care of myself you know!" Naruto said as he pulled his arms away and stood against the wall, grumbling.

Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto and Tsunade were standing in the Hokage's office, the former two with stunned looks on their faces at the overzealous reaction from Naruto. The late afternoon sun shone through the window as the Hokage attempted to reason with the newly arrived ninja.

"I never thought he would take it like this, Kakashi-sensei…doesn't he know what their capabilities are?" whispered Sakura to Kakashi, who was watching the scene with fascination.

"Naruto has always been overly proud and independent, he grew up a loner and a loud mouth and will always be one. He doesn't realize that this time he can't take care of himself. The Nine are too powerful for him…he cannot be left unguarded." Kakashi said in an explanatory tone to Sakura while watching Naruto struggling with Tsunade intently.

Naruto was now yelling angrily at the Hokage and pointing an accusatory finger at her, a waning look of offended anger on his face.

"That's it, I'm sick of this." Said Kakashi wearily as he walked over to the verbally sparring pair of mismatched ninjas. "Oi! Naruto!" he called and pulled Naruto away from the Hokage. Tsunade looked tired and gave Kakashi a look of extreme thankfulness, stepping back and perching on her desk while pouring herself a small glass of Sake.

"Naruto, you know-…."

"Get away from me Kakashi! I don't need a lecture from you!" Naruto interrupted and spun around, pouting as Kakashi scratched his head.

"Naruto, listen to me. I don't think you realize the danger you're in. The Akatsuki nine are on the prowl. We have this information from a reliable source and are making the necessary preparations in order to protect you from the threat. Naruto, your protection is also the village's protection. Don't you see this?" Kakashi said questioningly as Naruto's arms came down from his chest and he put his head against the wall.

"Kakashi…I just got back, I don't want to have to be separated from everyone!" Naruto said protestingly, but Sakura saw that his indignation was slowly changing to pleading.

"Naruto…you will be allowed visitors, it's just that we can't watch you at all times wherever you are, it would be too trying on the ANBU. You need to be in one spot so your protection can be adequate and precise. Naruto…most of all…I know you probably don't believe this but…" Kakashi looked at his former student and turned him around, looking into his eyes. Naruto looked away and pursed his lips.

"We love you, Naruto. We don't want you to be hurt, or…" Kakashi paused and sighed. "This is final, Naruto. It's for your own good."

At these words Naruto looked around at the people in front of him. He looked at Tsunade. The Hokage was intently staring into her glass, brilliant blonde hair tied back conservatively and wrinkles of fatique beside her dangerous eyes. She looked angry and impatient, but Naruto saw that her eyes were strained, her whole body in fact, and he realized how tired she really must be. _Old Lady Tsunade…she really is serious about this, isn't she…?_ Naruto thought painfully to himself as his gaze wavered on the Hokage for a moment longer and then switched to Sakura.

The young Kunoichi was leaning against the wall, arms crossed across her somewhat womanly chest. She was looking at Naruto, and at his unyielding gaze she looked down at her feet, a pink tinge arising in her cheeks. Naruto thought that she looked very serene, standing there so timidly as if ashamed of agreeing with Kakashi and Tsunade. She looked up again and spoke. "Naruto…what Kakashi said is true. We just want to protect you…and…" her eyes began to water and she glared, squeezing away the tears. "We…we love you, you baka. Yes, we, okay?" Sakura looked into Naruto's eyes and it was then that he realized what he had done. These people loved him, they really did, and he had selfishly denied their offers of protection in his anger at being babied. He clenched his fists, frowning at the injustice of it, but held his chin up high and began to speak.

"I accept your offer, Old Lady Tsunade. I guess I was being a bit hasty…my protection looks like it has to be top priority, because this damn fox can't be given to the Nine. However, I…" Naruto faded off and staggered back. Sakura was hugging him.

"Naruto, I'm so happy that you made the right decision!" Her face was painted with a look of relieved affection, and she stood back and put her hands on Naruto's shoulders.

"Naruto, I have some details to tell you about your new living arrangements," said Tsunade, getting up from her uneasy perch on the edge of her large, cluttered desk. "Hatake, Sakura-chan, would you please leave us for the moment?" Tsunade stood and fixed Kakashi an expectant glare as he grabbed Sakura's right arm, pulling her away from Naruto.

"Come on, Sakura, you can cuddle later," said Kakashi, a smile playing across his lips beneath his opaque mask.

"Kakashi-senseiii!" Sakura growled and pulled her hand away, slapping his. "You don't know what you're talking about!" Former sensei and student stepped out of the room and closed the door.

"Come on, Sakura…Naruto's a stud now, you can say it. You should take the opportunity!" Kakashi suggested, smiling at the red tint of Sakura's face as he heard his remark. The blush quickly turned to a look of horror, however, as Sakura let herself slide down the wall and sit on a bench.

_Naruto…I admire him…but…_She winced and thought of a certain raven-haired ninja, long gone now. Sakura still held a place in her heart for Uchiha Sasuke. But would he ever come back….? The thought settled in Sakura's brain. She thought of three years ago…

She felt Sasuke nearly up against her, standing roughly a foot behind her. A gust of wind blew his black hair across his face, and her contrasting strands of rose-hued locks fluttered in the air.

"Thank you." She heard him say, and the words repeated themselves again and again, every day for the next year, until the pain numbed away and she became herself again, putting her long-lost love in the back of her head.

_But I can't dwell on Sasuke forever. He might even be in sympathy with Orochimaru now…_she clenched her fist and fought back tears. As she realized that he wasn't coming back, she felt a slender hand fall on her shoulder. Kakashi was crouching in front of her, arm extended and a look of concerned sadness on his face.

"Sakura, I know what you're feeling…Sasuke meant a lot to me, too. But don't you think it's time to move on? I couldn't stop him, Naruto couldn't stop him, and you couldn't stop him. I don't think he'll be coming back, Sakura."

At this, Kakashi stood up, saluted Sakura, and vanished with a comforting smile on his face. Sakura stood up, looking out the window. The late afternoon sun shone through, glaring if she looked at it at a certain angle, as if accusing her of being too harsh with Kakashi. She sighed and turned away from the angry orb, and walked towards the door leading out into the village. Sasuke's face was in her head, but it faded and she realized that she had learned something today. Naruto was here…Sasuke was not. The door opened, and Konoha smiled at her.

That's it for you, will update if I get some freakin' reviews. Geez, I'm beginning to think this was a waste of time. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW ANYONE WHO READ OR IS READING THIS. The faster you review and more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write.


	5. Visitors

Yeah! Alright everyone, thanks a lot for the reviews, now on with chapter 5!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. He rocks though.

Naruto squinted through the haze at the person standing across the canyon from him. The third stage Rasengan blazed and swirled angrily in his hand like a trapped animal. The chakra scorched his skin, only to be healed instantly by the Kyuubi. He raised his hand, Rasengan leading him on like a beacon. He threw himself at the person. It felt as if his body was no longer his, as though he were flying through the haze towards that damned shadowed figure, though he still could not tell who it was. The person was flying towards him also. Naruto felt only hatred and an uncontrollable rage that seemed like it would devour his soul. He roared and shoved the rasengan into the figure's chest, feeling his palm shatter bones and destroy organs, his opponent's blood spattering all over Naruto's face. Naruto licked it off his cheeks, glowering down at the person he had slain. Two fading sharingan eyes stared back up at him. The raven hair was matted with blood, spread across the ground like a sacrifice to some vengeful spirit. Naruto grasped his arms and curled up on the ground, crying.

"AAAAAAAAAAUUUGGGHHH!" Naruto screamed and sat up, his body wet with cold sweat, the covers twisted around his waist, suffocating him. He wriggled out of bed and fell to the floor, tears coming to his eyes. The carpet fibers absorbed the moisture and tickled his cheeks as he thought. _Why…why do I keep remembering that day…ever since I returned to Konoha…_Naruto winced and forced himself to stand up. Feeling his stomach about to explode, he staggered to the toilet and vomited. He crouched, bracing his arms on the bowl of the ever-merciful waste receptacle as he hacked and coughed into the water. He leaned back against the wall, and closed his eyes.

"Naruto…are you okay?" said a cloaked ANBU guard standing in the doorway to the bathroom. "I heard a scream."

"I'm…fi-fine. Just leave…leave me alone, please." Naruto uttered in barely audible gasps to the guard as he feebly lifted his hand in a gesture of acknowledgement. The guard seemed to hesitate, then nodded and disappeared.

Naruto clasped his head and ran his hands through his golden-blonde hair. He got to his feet, testing his body to find out if he had regained his sense of direction. The dizziness was gone now, and he was left with a strained ache in his bowels. The awakening sun shone its feeble light through the window near his bed, and the silhouette of an ANBU flitted across the otherwise serene and peaceful surroundings. His house was dark, the bathroom gloomy. Naruto flipped the light switch and gazed at the boy looking back at him in the mirror. He was gaining rapidly on six feet, and his biceps and chest muscles were clearly trained and hard. He stood there in his boxers, looking into the blue, bottomless depths that were his eyes. Naruto dropped his arms to his sides and sighed. Walking out of the bathroom, he strode into the small kitchen and put some water on to boil, selecting a random box of ramen from the rapidly dwindling pile under the sink.

Naruto flopped down in a chair and leaned back. He put his fingers to his temples and groaned, thinking back to when the nightmares had started, when he first moved into this god damned isolated house. Tsunade had told him it wouldn't be so bad, that he could have visitors every day. The disturbing part was that he could not leave the house without an ANBU escort. And let me tell you, it didn't look too impressive to be sitting at Ichiraku Ramen with a bowl and surrounded by dark-cloaked tall guys with weird masks. Girls shied away from him and people stared. He wasn't allowed to go anywhere without the guards on his tail, and any attempts he made at losing them were useless. They had been warned by the Hokage that Naruto might try to escape, and had prepared accordingly. Whenever he had backed down a side alley and used a camouflage technique, or simply used Kawarimi no Jutsu and teleported, the guards were always one step ahead of him, one hanging back on rooftops and another lurking in shadows and blending with the crowd. Naturally, this infuriated Naruto because he was, of course, a professional prankster by his standards. Such a trivial problem as leading some worthless ANBU away from him should not have been very troublesome, but Naruto guessed that he was out of practice, having spent the last two and a half years fending off furious chicks from Ero-Sennin and training his ass off. And in addition to this embarrassment, the so-called great Akatsuki hadn't even showed their cowardly faces yet! There had been no word of any action of the aforementioned group in the week and half that Naruto had been living in isolation, which had begun to tick him off. If they were going to capture him, let them try. He was pissed enough to take all of them.

So most of the time, Uzumaki Naruto sat around in his house and small backyard, a highly serveillanced area, and became educated as to what had been happening in his beloved village in the years he had been away. He had seen all of his old friends, who had stopped by with the permission of Tsunade every once and a while.

Lee brought TenTen and Neji with him, pointing happily at Naruto when he burst unceremoniously through the door. "This is the man whose ass I kicked!" Lee had yelled, and smiled arrogantly in Naruto's direction as the tall and commanding figure of Hyuuga Neji stepped through the door. Neji's hand was grasped by a woman in a loose-fitting kimono whose hair was tied up in buns to the back of her head. Though Naruto had not noticed at first, he found out that the female was TenTen, who had become more mature and had a commanding sense of authority over her two teammates. She had sparkling eyes and she was beautiful in a way, her figure strong but womanly and her face serious and calm. Rock Lee explained that Neji and TenTen had been a courteous couple for the last year, and Neji narrowed his eyes and looked at Naruto, as if challenging him to make some rude comment as the teen normally would have. The Hyuuga's hair was tied back in its usual ponytail, and he wore Hyuuga clan robes. His eyes still bore the look of suffering and pain they had before, but they were incredibly fierce. Naruto saw in them a softness of late, undoubtedly brought about by his new female companion. But Naruto simply smiled and congratulated them, causing TenTen to blush and Neji's grimace to disappear. Neji was a Jounin with a busy schedule, and TenTen was due to take the Jounin exam coming up.

Shikamaru had brought his teammates, Ino and Chouji, a week ago right after Naruto had moved in. Chouji was as…uh, large as ever, but he looked more respectful and calm, his long hair tied back by his forehead protector, which he wore as a headband. He wore a traditional Akamichi cloak and beads. He had smiled heartily at Naruto and offered him a box of Ramen as a present from his clan. Having greatfully accepted Chouji's gift, Naruto was surprised to receive a bouquet of flowers from Ino, who was undoubtedly the most stunningly gorgeous female he had seen of late. Her hair had grown back fully, and she wore a violet in the white-blonde locks, which fell to past her shoulders, complementing her eye-goggling chest and purple kimono. Naruto had stared at her until she made a sound of disapproval and snapped her fingers. Shikamaru looked impatient that he still had to deal with these partners, but Naruto knew he enjoyed their company. He had talked to them about the goings-on of the village and gotten his ass kicked numerous times by Shikamaru in every game he could think up. The lazy Jounin had been visiting a lot on his own, talking with Naruto about girls, teachers and the villagers.

Kiba had brought Hinata along to see Naruto, along with Akamaru, who had grown a bit and had licked Naruto's hand when offered. Hinata was tall now, though not as tall as he, and she spoke more confidently and warmly, the burden of her childhood crush on the Kyuubi boy evidently no longer present. Her cheeks were rosy and her milky-white eyes were soft and kind. After he had wearily let them in, Hinata and Kiba smiled and looked him over. She had quickly kissed Naruto on the cheek and smiled at him, then strode into the kitchen to prepare tea. Kiba had wrestled with Naruto and Akamaru. His black hair shot out in random directions, and he wore loose fitting shirts and regular pants, no longer Eskimo-esque with his parka. He told him of all the awesome fights he had missed out on, describing the one where he had conquered Chouji's multi-size technique with gusto. His explanations were colorful and funny, and he acted out the scenes, or at least attempted to, sometimes knocking over furniture and stumbling over Akamaru. They had sat together and Naruto had asked Hinata how she had been doing with her training.

Throughout all this, however, Naruto's greatest boon was getting to see Sakura every day. Though he didn't know why, the pink-haired Kunoichi had seemed to be showing a great amount of interest in him since he returned. He smiled and remembered his lifelong crush on Sakura. It was different now. Him being older, he looked at her with more of a respect than admiration, and he had learned to get along better with her since their fight with Kakashi. She came over everyday to hang out, and they would simply talk about the things they had done in the years that they had been away from each other. The pair simply seemed to flow together, as if nothing strange had ever been between them. Sakura seemed comfortable around Naruto, and Naruto got along perfectly with her. Sakura told him how she became a Chuunin, what her battles were like, and how everyone acted nowadays. She told him what Tsunade had taught her, and even showed him some techniques when she felt like it was worth it. Naruto watched all this in awe, wondering how such a blessing could come upon him in the days of his isolation. Despite all this, the topic of Sasuke never came up much, and when a particular story involved him, the two teens could see the straining to keep back emotion in each others' eyes. Their partner was gone, and they had both accepted it, but for some reason they could not come to terms with their grief.

And so Naruto had gotten to know Haruno Sakura much better than he ever had before, having spent many hours of many days with her. He sighed at the table, hoping that she would stop by today so he could tell her about his nightmare. Hearing the water furiously boiling, Naruto got up and poured the ramen noodles in. He closed his eyes as the steam caressed his face.

Several hours later, our hero sat cross-legged on the carpet of his bedroom meditating. He heard her footsteps before she even came to the door. He leapt up, a smile creeping up to his face as he opened the door. Sakura gave him a faint smile. He ushered her in, and she sat down weakly at the table. It was at this point that Naruto, being his usual observant self, realized that something was wrong with his friend. She was crying. Naruto walked tentatively over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura…? What's wrong?"

"N-n-naruto, I don't want you-I don't want them to come here!" Sakura said, and sat up, her hands on her face.

"Sakura, I don't know what you're talking about. What happened?" Naruto said, his voice dripping confusion and worry.

"I heard Tsunade-sensei talking…they were talking about how they found a body…near here…Naruto, the Akatsuki are here!"

"But how do you know…" There was a knot in Naruto's throat as he sat down next to her. _They had made their move…that poor person must have gotten in their way…which means…_

"Sakura, quick, when did you hear her talking!" said Naruto hurriedly, clasping her hand.

"Right before I came here…I had to tell you that they're increasing the guard…Kakashi and the other Jounin are on their way. Tsunade had to mobilize quickly, but she fears that the Akatsuki are already near here. They may even be-be-be watching us right nowwww!" Sakura broke into sobs as her head fell into Naruto's arms.

This is bad…if the other Jounin don't get here on time…I don't know if I can take on Itachi…

"Nar-Naruto, I came here because I wanted to help you when they came! I-"

She stopped and her eyes went wide in fear. Naruto turned around, following her eyes.

An ANBU guard's limp body was plastered on the bedroom window, slowly sliding down and leaving a trail of blood on the weakened frame. CRASH! Another guard literally flew through the window on the other side of where they were sitting, over their heads and into a corner. Drops of blood splattered across Naruto's face as he sat there, gaping, staring at the guard who had checked on him that morning. He began to concentrate his chakra around them, trying to sense what would happen next. He felt something above them break. The ceiling…it felt as if it were groaning. _Oh, shit!_ Naruto had a split second to think before he heard Sakura scream. He dove at the girl and they landed in a heap against the counter. The world was falling apart… The ceiling caved in, large chunks of plaster falling from the ceiling. Naruto placed a chakra barrier above them, where a medium sized chunk of ceiling exploded into a million bits. He held Sakura protectively against his chest and looked up at the pile of wreckage that was his house. All he could see were red clouds and red eyes.

Wahoo, long chapter. Okay, I got some comments. Man, it was painful to make Hinata so off character, but I believe it was somewhat necessary for her personality to change if she wasn't going to be infatuated with Naruto still. This fic was heading towards NaruSaku from the beginning, and I had to keep it that way, so I painfully made Hinata grow up and forget about Naruto. I hope my other characters aren't too off, and I hope that I can update in then next couple days. That's about it guys…REVIEW PLEASE!


	6. Heroes

Oh, man…you guys are excellent! Thank you so much for all your reviews and advice! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, as it is a giant fight and I hope I wrote it well enough. Get ready for some action.

Uchiha Itachi gazed down at the pair of Leaf Shinobi below him in the demolished house he now stood upon. The Kyuubi boy was standing in front of the worthless pink-haired one protectively, and his eyes shone with the Kyuubi Chakra already. Itachi smiled. He longed for that power, the power of the demon that slew Yondaime. Behind him he could hear the sounds of battle, Kisame clashing swords with the remaining ANBU guard. Surprisingly, the guard had been holding his own, but Kisame now let out a roar, bestial in nature, as he countered the ANBU's katana with an upward strike and delivered a powerful kick to the guard's chest. Kisame leapt, and though it was not necessary as the ANBU lay nursing his broken ribs on the grass, he landed on the guard, driving his sword through his chest and severing the guard's main chakra channels, causing him to flop around pathetically as he strove to regain his body's balance. With a cough of blood and a heave of his chest, the guard died. Kisame growled aggressively and licked the blood from his cheeks, standing up. His shark-like eyes flared at Itachi as he walked up to stand next to him on the wreckage, a look of disdain on his face as he glanced at the two young ninja.

Itachi snapped his fingers. A score of black-clad subordinates appeared around the two Akatsuki, standing at attention. Itachi smirked. "Uzumaki Naruto. You are to come with us now. The girl need not be harmed. Stand down and calm yourself. No harm will come to you if it is not necessary." Itachi said in menacing tones as he began to move towards Naruto.

Naruto was about to tell Sakura to run when he glanced back and realized that she had fainted. He planted his feet firmly in front of her and looked defiantly at Itachi only, his eyes blood red as he growled. "Never. I am not a force to be controlled, you Akatsuki murderer!"

But inside, Naruto knew he could not fight these people now. He would have to give himself up if he did not want Sakura to be killed. He groped in his mind for some kind of plan, some kind of way for them to escape, when he heard an earsplitting scream. Itachi faltered and looked backward towards the group of ninja behind him. One of the ninjas was writhing on the ground as if in incredible agony, and as Naruto watched the black clad assassin's body went stiff for a second, and then he shrieked. The ninja was writhing, screaming his lungs out, crawling, crying. Whatever he was seeing must not have been bearable. Naruto had to look away as the ninja's body spasmed irregularly and he began to claw his eyes out. Blood showered out of the man's face, tissue splattering the ground around him as he screamed, deafening tones splitting the calm morning air as his spasms died down and he lay still. Kisame raised his eyebrows and said, "Is that it…?" as he drew his sword carefully. Naruto gasped.

Yuuhi Kurenai appeared out of thin air next to Naruto. "Are you alright?" she asked as she eyed Itachi, who was grimacing and regaining his composure.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…Kurenai-sensei, did you do…that…? What did you make him see…?" Naruto hesitantly whispered, and he stepped back at the look of hardened, cold fury in Kurenai's eyes. She winced.

"You don't want to know." She stated simply and gestured towards Itachi and Kisame. "You two are S-class criminals. Leaf specialty Jounin are almost here, and will kill you on the spot if you do not surrender now. Your choice." She said menacingly as she straightened up and looked at Itachi.

Itachi's eyes widened. A malicious grin spread across his face as he stared back at Kurenai. "Leaf Jouinin…" he said speculatively as he mockingly pretended to consider her suggestion. Suddenly, he broke into cold bouts of laughter, and he clenched his fists. His evil cackle split the quiet morning air like a knife, as birds fluttered out of the trees and Kisame smirked. Just as suddenly as it had begun, his laughter stopped, and he drew himself into a fighting stance. "Come." He said simply, and gestured at Kurenai. At this word uttered from his mouth, all Hell broke loose.

Naruto watched in awe. His former teacher, Kakashi, had sped into the crowd of Akatsuki subordinates, and he began to fight two of them with fierce Taijutsu kicks and thrusts, his body weaving and ducking as he swiftly broke one of their necks with the heel of his foot and blocked the other's punch. Kakashi's forehead protector was up on his temple, keeping his silver hair out of his face as he fought. His sharingan eye was spinning rapidly as his fluid movements boasted a lifetime of training. He yelled random syllables as he fought fiercely with the ninja.

At the same time as Hatake Kakashi had arrived to protect Naruto, several other Leaf Shinobi had also come. Naruto looked around as adrenaline began to run through his veins and his breathing increased, the thrill of the fight coursing through him.

Gai was fighting ruthlessly against three of the ninja, his eyes fierce and determined as he delivered a bone-breaking roundhouse kick to one of their sides. As the ninja he had kicked was soaring through the air, he clapped his hands in the style reminiscent of Lee's technique, and the ninja screamed as every bone in his body broke. Gai turned around only to receive a punch to the face and a shuriken in the shoulder, as two more ninja attacked him.

Iruka was fighting alongside two of his shadow clones as he deflected numerous attacks from the black-clad ninjas, two gigantic windmill shuriken spinning on his wrists as he flipped nimbly over the head of one of his attackers and cut him along the spine.

Naruto gasped as he saw Shikamaru and his father engaged in battle with Kisame. His young Jounin friend was dodging swipes from Kisame's sword as his eyes narrowed and intense concentration showed itself in his worried features. His father was weaving in and out of Kisame's reach, his hands sealed. He was muttering inaudible words. Naruto did a double take as he realized what the Nara man was doing. He looked carefully. Kisame was drooling, swinging his sword ruthlessly in flawless arcs at Shikamaru's dad and his son. Though they did not appear to be hurt, the sword looked like it should have been hitting them. Shikamaru and his dad were controlling Kisame's movements with their flitting shadows, a tiny bit at a time, in different intervals so that he missed them by centimeters every time he swiped with his chakra-cutting blade. The clear look of frustration on Kisame's face brought a look of victory to Naruto's as he threw himself into the fray.

He whipped a kunai at the nearest nin, who was fighting Kakashi, about to sneak up behind him. The kunai flew straight and true, splitting the air with a whistle as it sped towards the man. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it and flipped away…Naruto saw his movement, and smirked. "Chakra Push no Jutsu!" he said, and the man was shoved back into the path of the kunai by a barely visible wall of solid chakra Naruto had made. The kunai instantaneously buried itself in the man's neck with a wet smack. He gurgled, flailing, and collapsed, his face covered in blood.

Naruto growled. He could feel the Kyuubi's chakra coursing through his body, and he felt a need to rip, to tear apart his enemies, to strike fear into the hearts of these ninjas. He crouched down and leapt.

Jiraiya had immediately engaged himself in fighting Itachi. They were in a world apart from the others, bodies moving at speed uncanny to the human body as they detected each other's movements a split second before they happened, missing attacks by centimeters. Both looked desperately for an opening to perform a jutsu. Jiraiya frowned and let his body do the fighting for him for a minute. Tsunade was back with the rest of the Jounins defending the village. It had to have been a distraction. Those ninjas that had attacked back in the village were the same as the ones they were fighting here. It was too bad that the Hokage and the other powerful ninjas, like Asuma and Ibiki, had not been able to help them with this fight. He blinked and gasped. Itachi flinched and Jiraiya took full advantage of the second he had, concentrating his chakra and flipping high over Itachi's head. "Rasengan!" he yelled and thrust a high stage whirling ball of condensed chakra at his opponent's body. He sped towards him extremely fast, but Itachi only grinned. He formed a series of lightning quick seals and turned to face Jiraiya. "Body Blend no Jutsu." Just as Jiraiya's Rasengan hit Itachi's chest, Itachi's body literally split open. Jiraiya's fist went right through it, and out the back of Itachi. Itachi smiled. His chest had melded itself around Jiraiya's arm, the flesh strangely distorted and blurry, like the air over a fire. This Jutsu would not last long. Sharingan spinning, he formed a Rasengan. The immensely powerful ball of rapidly spinning chakra sparkled and crackled, its light glaring at Jiraiya as he tried to block it with a hastily composed chakra shield. _Shit…he copied my technique that well…_ was all he had time to think before a condensed explosion split the air, and Jiraiya flew back from Itachi into a crowd of ninja, fighting with Kurenai and Gai. The two extremely packed masses of chakra had collided, and Jiraiya's being weaker than the Rasengan, his had been overwhelmed and the chakra had broken through. Jiraiya's arm had taken most of the blow. It lay limp against his side, tingling with fading electricity as he drew himself up and glared.

Slightly distracted at being floored by the body of Jiraiya, Kurenai blinked and glanced over at him. Gai yelled, "Kurenai, watch yourself!" She spun around only to have the katana of the ninja she had been sparring with slice her abdomen. She staggered backward and collapsed. Gai yelled, but he was forced to turn and concentrate on the ninja he was fighting, and saw an opening. He stepped to the side of the black-clad man's outstretched fist and grabbed his wrist. He flipped the man over his shoulder and brought his booted foot around to crash into the man's face. He heard his neck break. The ninja sputtered and lay dead. He spun around, looking for Kurenai, only to see her lying bleeding on the ground. He was about to rush to her side when Naruto crashed into him and grimaced. "Sorry, Gai-sensei." He uttered as he got to his feet and ran back to the fight. Gai called to Kakashi.

"Oi! Kakashi! You need to help Kurenai! I'll cover you!" Entrusting his rival to take care of his companion, he ran to where Naruto was fighting with two more of the ninjas.

Kakashi had been in a rage of battle-induced fury. A chidori was crackling and spitting sparks in his hands. He wrenched his fist out of the ninja he had just stabbed with the Lightning Edge. Looking around, he spotted Kurenai and a stab of uncontrollable anger and pain knifed through his heart. "Kurenaaaaiii! He screamed as he spun around and ripped the nearest ninja neatly in half with his chidori, catching the man completely by surprise. He ignored the mass of blood that had splattered his face, sprinting towards Kurenai's limp frame. He grimaced as he saw the deep gash across her stomach. She was wincing, holding a sweat-stained piece of cloth to her abdomen. She smiled faintly at him. "Kakashi. I-I…AAAAAHHHGH!" she doubled over in agony and lay curled up at his feet. Kakashi crouched down and smoothed her hair out of her face. "Kurenai-chan…shhh…I'll take care of this…" he pulled up her shirt up to the gash and a stab of fear rushed through his mind. The cut was deep, and the only thing that Kakashi guessed could have stopped it from being instantly fatal was the thin layer of body armor she had and the muscles in her stomach. He looked up into Kurenai's bright crimson eyes. They were glazed over with unconsciousness. He winced and reached into his field pack for gauze and disinfectant. He gently lifted her up, pulling her into his arms for a second while he wrapped the gauze around the wound, temporarily stopping the flow of blood. However, he knew that she would not last long if she didn't get to a hospital, and fast. This battle had to end. Now. He looked around, gazing at each battle and taking into account the casualties on both sides. His eyes widened as he saw how much trouble they were in.

Gai was desperately holding off 5 ninjas with Naruto. They were back to back, fending off blows from katanas with their kunais and wrist protectors. For the moment they were holding their own, but Kakashi could see that they were quickly tiring, especially Gai, whose left eye was caked with blood, obstructing his vision, and his shoulder was bleeding freely, cut open by a shuriken that was still lodged in the muscle. He fought with the intensity of a being made for battle, one open eye hauntingly defiant, and a furious grimace on his face. Naruto, however, was in better condition, and seemed to be even becoming more energetic, the Kyuubi chakra healing his wounds as they appeared. His body was surrounded in a cloud of whirling red chakra, and his eyes shone with hatred and rage. He had a kunai in each hand, wielding off katanas. He seemed to be soaking up the rush of battle, limbs a flurry of constant motion as he danced in and out of slices and delivered quick glancing punches and kicks to his opponents. He screamed with rage and fury as he strove to find an opening for his claws.

A sigh of relief escaped Kakashi's lips as he realized that those ninjas fighting Gai and Naruto were the only ones left standing. The look of wonder was wiped from his face, however, as he looked at the other Jounin.

Iruka had jumped over to help Jiraiya with Itachi, but Itachi was a blur of black and red attacks, the two leaf ninja desperately leaping out of his reach only to have to run again at his next onslaught. Iruka would never have been able to counter if it weren't for his clever jutsu, which looked like it involved three large leaves flying in and out of Itachi's blows, blocking them with metallic clangs. Iruka had solidified and enlarged the leaves to withstand Itachi's attacks. Kakashi started at Iruka's fascinating control and expertise over basic techniques such as these. They were now proving to be a large help in battle. Jiraiya was shielding himself with chakra over and over again, his supply running low as his stamina diminished. He leapt back as Itachi focused his next attack solely on Iruka. He had unleashed a freezing jutsu on the leaves, which had fallen to the ground weighted down by the ice that had encased them. Jiraiya muttered, "Swamp Ground No Jutsu." The ground beneath Itachi faltered and gave away, quickly turning into a sticky bog that threatened to swallow up the Akatsuki ninja. Itachi faltered, giving Iruka an opening. "Razor fist!" the ninja yelled as an edge of chakra appeared on his right arm and he punched Itachi squarely in the face. A gash appeared across the Akatsuki's cheek and he frowned, clearly frustrated that he had let the weak ninja hit him. He clenched his teeth and his eyes shone. He exploded out of the ground and kicked Iruka fiercely, sending him flying back twenty yards into a grove of trees. Glistening blobs of broken earth showered down on the battle, and Jiraiya leapt back to help Iruka. Itachi advanced towards them.

As Jiraiya was doing his swamp jutsu, Shikamaru and his dad were desperately trying to hold out against Kisame, who was sliding in and out of the ground, which had somehow turned into a pool of murky water. Kisame exploded in and out of the water, slashing at the two Nara clan men, who were standing on the surface with the help of chakra. Kakashi could see that their stamina was failing, Shikamaru's brow furrowed with concentration and his father bleeding from a slash to his leg.

"Shit, shit, shit." Kakashi muttered as he crouched down with Kurenai's prone head in his lap. Her eyes were closed, and strands of her black hair were splayed across her face in random directions. She was breathing raggedly and strained, slipping in and out of consciousness. Kakashi looked up from her eyes as he heard a scream.

"ENOUGH!" yelled Itachi at the top of his lungs, blood dripping from the gash on his face, his left cheek bruised and swollen. He floated in midair above the rest of the battling shinobi. His expression was hard to read, as it proved difficult to tell if he looked bored or furious. His sharingan eyes were spinning, but a detached, clouded look was on his face as he brought his hands up in the first seal of many.

Naruto, still hungry for blood and the Kyuubi's chakra glowing around him, gasped at the spectacle of Itachi's Jutsu before him. He ran to check on Sakura. She was still unconscious. He turned around and seeing Itachi before him, the breath caught in his throat as if choked by some invisible force, and he sat down in front of the fallen Kunoichi in order to protect her from harm.

This technique now shown to the weary Leaf ninja was known throughout the years as the Fallen Blades Technique. Powerful Shinobi used it as a last stand move, in order to try to balance the casualties on both sides of a battle. It was devastating and extremely dangerous, requiring the user to put his or her own life on the line, which wasn't saying much considering the outright chance of destroying oneself when performing this technique. However, the Akatsuki standing before them in midair was performing it flawlessly, and it seemed to be occurring without effort.

The swords of the ninjas that had been killed quivered, dragged on the ground and finally flew through the air toward Itachi, as if pulled on invisible strings with the strength of a mammoth. A ring of swords pointing outwards soon surrounded Itachi. He rotated his hand, clenching his jaw and glaring as the swords turned so their edge faced sideways as if ready to decapitate someone. The ninjas gasped at Itachi's chakra control as his eyes closed and he began to whirl around in midair, the swords dancing, twirling, whizzing in a hurricane of death as the Akatsuki spun in the air. He suddenly opened his eyes. The sharingan were spinning as fast as the swords, which were now a blur of dancing sunlight. He fell to the earth and began to move with frightening speed to attack the Leaf ninja.

"Holy Shit! Everyone, be careful!" Jiraiya said as he leaped over the ring and teleported to the other side of the clearing. The rest of the ninja followed his lead as Itachi spun rapidly around the clearing like an out-of-control top, the swords ringing with a deadly whir as they spun around beyond the speed of Naruto's eyesight. The Leaf ninja were forced into a deadly game of jump and duck. The whirling swords cut trees clean through and when Itachi crouched, they clipped the grass neatly and evenly. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw the predicament his comrades were in.

"Naruto! Get the hell away from here! He heard Kakashi say. "Run, and don't come back! I'll take care of Kisame!" Kakashi screamed, blood dripping from his mouth as he formed the chidori. He glared at Kisame, who was crouched in a tree. As the silver-haired Jounin sped towards him, Kisame was soon forced to drop down to the ground and dodge Kakashi's Sharingan-lead swipes, weaving in and out of Kakashi's electrically charged fist, the sound of a thousand birds splitting the air and clashing with the sound of Itachi's swords harshly. Naruto looked from his teacher to his new sensei to Shikamaru and over to the wounded Kurenai, who was lying outside of the clearing on the soft grass. He bit his lip and tears came to his eyes as he realized the fate of his elders. "Ero-Sennin! I won't leave you! I can fight!" Naruto said through streaming tears as he held Sakura.

"Kakashi is right, Naruto. You need to run! Run for your life, and Sakura's! We'll hold Itachi back for as long as possible! Don't worry about us; we'll be fine! Jiraiya said with a grin as he leaped out of the reach of the singing blades. Naruto sobbed and reached towards the legendary pervert. "Don't lie, Ero-Sennin! Don't-d-don't…L-lie…" Naruto looked down and bit his lip, tasting blood as he refused to believe that his beloved teachers could die here. He was granted new hope, however, from the voice of a certain lazy ninja.

"Naruto. Don't be an idiot. You know I can't die here. There are more clouds for me to watch." Said Shikamaru confidently as he danced in and out of the swords, sweating and bleeding from numerous cuts. Shikamaru glared at Naruto. "Naruto, go! It's what we want you to do! The Akatsuki can't be allowed to get the Kyuubi…just go! Now! Run! Ru-aagghh!" Shikamaru was viciously cut across the arm, blood spattering the tree behind him, and he staggered back, trying to stop the fountain of blood leaking from his muscle. He looked unforgivably at Naruto and winced. "G-go…" he said and collapsed.

"Shikamaruuu!" Naruto screamed, but he knew that his friend was right. The Kyuubi was his responsibility. This monstrous chakra had destroyed a village once, and Naruto would not allow it to do so again. He grimaced as he watched his mentors dodge and weave, careening around like crazy men, missing Itachi's blades by inches. Luckily, the immensely powerful Jiraiya was able to save some of them from certain death as he blunted some of the blades with chakra, unbelievable considering the speed they were spinning. His face was screwed up in concentration now, prolonging the lives of his comrades moment by moment. He had no time to do anything before he had to dodge again, barely being able to help out. Itachi's sickly dance of death was taking its toll. _Kakashi…Ero-Sennin…I won't fail you_! Naruto never saw the rest, however, as he ran with the limp body of Sakura curled up in his arms, never looking back. He left Konoha behind, burying himself in the arms of the forest, hiding this monstrous power within him. The Kyuubi was like a weight on his shoulders, always bringing him down below the level of the normal person, requiring him to do things that no one should have to. As he ran, tears splattering from his face, he knew only one thing. He had to hide himself. He had to hide for a long time.

There you go. I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to update this for a week or so, because I'm going to a comic convention in Florida with my dad. This seemed like a good place to leave you hanging. Thanks for reading, and always remember: REVIEW, REVIEW, And REVIEW! Thanks! I'll update ASAP.


	7. Awakening

Thanks a lot for all your reviews guys! I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long for this chapter, but I haven't really had time to write it in the wake of Megacon, where I bought all kinds of awesome anime and manga such as Appleseed, FLCL, and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

By the way, I had a couple comments on the ability of the sharingan to copy the Rasengan. I was under the impression by the description of this doujutsu (sharingan) on that it copied techniques based on the ability to see chakra patterns, not just hand seals. I could be wrong, so if some more people could do some fact checking on this to make sure, it would be greatly appreciated. This event seemed to fit in to the situation in the fight, so I just threw it in there. Again, Thanks a lot, now on to the chapter!

Chapter 7

It was windy outside, the kind of cool breeze that you are never prepared for when it hits you, the kind that mysteriously comes up during summer when you don't have a jacket on. It chilled her bones and shook the grass in the clearing like millions of tiny ballerinas all dancing their individual styles. The clouds moved speedily over the sun, changing the light that shone through the trees as the shadows shifted across the ground. The boy's blonde hair was shining like a beacon in the otherwise dim clearing, and Sakura could see him behind some bushes, and she called his name.

"Naruto! Naruto!" she called, dreamily, and seemed to float towards him, reaching out at him, longing for his comforting look, his deep blue eyes that held only love, only passion for his friends and all the people he knew.

She reached out…stretching her hand towards his crown of blonde spikes…

He was so close now, and he turned…

Now facing him, Sakura screamed and knelt down beside him. Naruto was bleeding, horribly, the brilliant red liquid streaming from every facial orifice, his brow matted with the stuff, his skin shredded and scratched. She closed her eyes and squeezed back the tears, wishing the vision away, wanting it to disappear so badly, wanting to never have seen him, never have met him, never had to be exposed to his personality so she would not have had to suffer at seeing him dead. It was then that his face transformed to one completely different, flawless, beautiful, with silky black hair that fell across his brow, held up by a Konoha forehead protector that was slashed with the evil passion of betrayal and hatred. Sakura's eyes widened and she screamed at the sight of Uchiha Itachi, screamed as if her soul was being ripped apart, as if she would never have to speak again, as if to raise the spirits of her ancestors to keep this man away from her, only if for a moment in time.

She screamed, and ran, and tripped, and fell…

The mud cold on her face…she felt someone looming over her…

"S-Sakura-chan…" a voice whispered tentatively, so close to her ear that she was awakened abruptly by it. She opened her eyes, trying to dispel the unease she felt as the same cool breeze floated across her bare arms and she stiffened. Looking up, Sakura saw that the person who had said her name was Naruto.

She scrambled up and away from him as she realized how close he was. Blushing profusely, Naruto sat back against a tree with a look of intense regret on his face. Sakura looked at him.

Naruto's face was dirty, and clumps of leaves and twigs were tangled up in his golden-blonde hair. He had taken off his jacket and was wearing a battered and torn T-shirt. It looked like he had been rolled through a meadow several times, then stuck his head in a mud puddle. His pants were torn in places, the blood from numerous cuts crusted on the hanging fabric. His bare arms were bruised and scratched, the toned muscles of a shinobi clearly strained to their limit. It was then that Sakura's gazed moved to his face. She gasped.

Light streaks where tears had fallen out of the boy's eyes were visible on his cheeks like lightning etched into a dark sky. However, it was not his face, but his eyes that were the most disturbing. The normally bright blue pools of happiness had lost their gleam and passion, replaced by a darkness that Sakura could not understand. They were dull, and Naruto had the look of a chased animal, beaten, defeated as his tired gaze met Sakura's.

Naruto winced. "G-gomen…Sakura-chan…It's just that I saw you crying in your sleep…and…and I wanted to wake you. T-to make sure you were okay." Naruto's face fell and he slumped.

"That's alright, Naruto-kun…listen…why were you…what happened? Where are we?" Sakura said softly, as if pushing him gently to reveal the cause of his trouble. She looked around her.

They were in a small clearing surrounded by trees, the sunlight etched in dabs of brightness through the leaves. A large moss-covered boulder took up a little less than half of the space, and the grass underfoot was bright green and long. She took her breath in sharply and strained to recall the last place were she was before the darkness overtook her. The last thing she remembered was seeing…that man…with the red eyes…

"Sakura-chan, we…ahhh….S-sakura…" Naruto stuttered, his speech broken up and stretched as if it had taken all his being to speak to her. Sakura saw that he was crying silently. She was taken aback, surprise creeping over her face as she watched his shoulders heave up and down with barely controlled sobs of anguish and pain, the tears dripping from his face to the leaf-strewn forest floor. She righted herself and shook away the surprise. If she wanted to know where they were and what had happened, she was going to have to help Naruto tell her. And this was obviously not something that would be too easy to accomplish. Sakura leaned forward and crawled to the emotionally drained young ninja with his back to the tree. She laid her hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto-kun…it's okay…if you don't want to tell me, you can…" Sakura was cut off.

"No!" Naruto suddenly snapped, and Sakura took her hand away from him, fast. Naruto was gazing up at the sky in defiance. "You have a right to know, Sakura-chan. It's just that I…it's like…if I tell it I'll have to relive every moment of it…and…I don't think I'll be able to…" Naruto's voice fell into a lapse of silence as his head fell and he grimaced. "But…I think that if…that if you're…if you're here, I might be able to do it, Sakura-chan." At this, he looked up at her with tired sincerity, and her heart skipped a beat as she saw that he kept eye contact defiantly and steadily.

"Naruto-kun…you're right, I'm here…" She said, and inched closer to him as he began to tell his tale. The words spilled from his mouth in stutters and snippets and grunts at first, but regained their passion as they came in a flow of emotion from his very soul, as if a burden was being lifted off it with every syllable he spoke. At times where he could no longer continue for tears, Sakura would put her arm around his shoulder and he would lean against her, crying his doubts and fears away into oblivion. He told her about all the people who had come to save them, how they had fought, so bravely, so instinctively only to protect Naruto. He told her about the end of the battle.

"…and he…he told me to run and take you with me, to hide…and he said…Sakura, he said…to not come back…" Naruto's voice trailed off until it picked up again, with a tone of bitterness. "They're probably dead now. Dead protecting me from Itachi. And you know why! It's because of this…this…god damn…" he broke off and bit his lip. "Never mind it. It's all my fault though. All my…fault…that Kakashi-sensei…Ero-sannin…Shikamaru…they're…they're.." Naruto slumped and put his hand to his face.

Sakura looked up at the dying sun through the trees, tendrils of dusk beginning to creep out from the clouds to claim the sky as their own. She shook her head and sighed. _Naruto…the baka…how could he think that this was his fault? He shouldn't have to deal with this on his own…_

She reached out to touch Naruto's shoulder. He tensed and backed away, scrunching his legs to his chest and putting his face to his knees. "Naruto-kun…Naruto…Kakashi-sensei cannot be…dead." She said confidently, even while shrugging away a tinge of doubt in the back of her mind. "Think about it. Tsunade-sama would have sent reinforcements, extra men, something…and Jiraiya-san is also very powerful, Naruto…it's impossible." She said conclusively and stood up. "Now, Naruto-kun, are you going to sit there all night and pout? You know that this was not your fault."

"But!"

"No. Naruto. You can't expect me to believe that it was your fault Itachi found you. You can't expect me to believe that Akatsuki wanting you for…some reason…is your fault in the least. Because it isn't. The Jounins that came for us were fighting for something against Itachi, Naruto, and even if I don't know what it is, I think you do, and it is time to accept the fact that you can't change it. Do not dishonor those that fought for you by taking responsibility for their actions. Now…are we going to set up camp or what…?" She trailed off from her string of angry remarks, gathering herself up as she stared sternly down at Naruto, who was looking up at her with a look of stunned disbelief on his face.

"S-Sakura-chan…" he croaked, almost inaudibly as a gasp escaped his lips. "You-you're staying here with me?"

Sakura could almost not believe her ears, until she realized the reasoning behind his irrational words, and her face fell in sympathy at the ragged boy staring up at her. _He thought that…he thought I was leaving? Just because I'm not in danger…but why…how selfless…_Sakura thought as she gazed back at Naruto.

"Oh, Naruto-kun…how could you think that I'd just…that I'd just walk off, and leave you by yourself…?" she uttered and put a hand to her trembling lips. "Kakashi…if what you told me is true…Naruto, he told you to take me with you. And you know what that means? That means I'm here. F-for the time being at least. Yes." She ended, faltering as his look turned to one of pure astonished joy.

"Sakura-chan! Thank you so much!" Naruto said as he launched himself into her arms, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up off the ground. She tensed at first, surprised, until her feet touched the ground once more and she thought about all that Naruto had told her. This boy, he had had to see so much fighting, so much death…and they told him to leave his village behind…his friends…his teacher…to hide…and he had thought that he would have to do it by himself, creep from cavern to cavern, village to village in disguise and fear at what might be around the corner every step he took. It was then and there that Sakura made her decision. She would stay with Naruto for as long as it took. She softened and returned Naruto's embrace, laying her head on his shoulder and whispering in his ear.

"Naruto…I'm not leaving now…I'm here…"

He held her tightly, quivering with suppressed emotion until he drew himself up, sniffing and wiping his eyes.

"Yes…that's it…campfire…yeah, I'll get some wood, or something…" Naruto said as he walked backward, the light returning to his eyes and a grin on his face as he began to think about what he needed to setup camp. Stepping backwards, his foot caught on a stray branch and he staggered over backward, falling right on his behind. Sakura held back a guffaw as he recovered, holding his head and mumbling a long string of curses.

"Naruto, you BAKA! Don't get yourself hurt now, you need to help me set up camp! Geez, **idiot…**" She thought as Naruto regained his tentative composure, dusting off his pants as he flung her a look of resentment and stalked off into the woods. Sakura inwardly warmed and she smiled greatfully. This was spectacular. This was the Naruto she knew. She straightened and shivered at the loss of heat from the Naruto's fading embrace, the chill of dusk settling into her bones. Haruno Sakura rubbed her arms rapidly and began to search for kindling.

Ah, yes, everyone, I'm really really sorry this chapter took so long, but I've been glued to the television watching Evangelion and struggling to catch up in school. Now I know this isn't going to satisfy you guys for very long, so I'm already spinning a tale together. I promise the story will pick up in the next chapter and you'll see where I'm going with this. Stay with me, and remember: REVIEW! Much love, and adios.


	8. NOT AN UPDATE

Hey everyone. Sorry this isn't an update. For now, or until I start having enough time (like over summer break) to keep writing this fic, I've decided to discontinue it. Don't worry, there will be more, I'm just going to devote more time to reading manga and watching anime, because I really am a n00b when it comes to this stuff, I just really want to get acquainted with all that there is out there, so I'll get back to you guys later. I've been reading naruto (of course), Bleach, Black Cat, Deathnote, Love Hina, Ichigo 100, Evangelion, and Rurouni Kenshin & watching Naruto, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL, Bleach, Love Hina, Cowboy Bebop, and stuff like Ninja Scroll and Samurai X. I even caught the first episode of Cutie Honey Flash, which was absolutely terrible. If any one has any recommendations (manga or anime) that they think I have to check out, just leave it in a review or email me at Thanks a lot, and once again, my apologies.


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